Dispensing package for fluid soluble materials



Jan. 12, 1965 c. GARRETT DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR FLUID SOLUBLE MATERIALSFiled Aug. 15, 1962 WATER SUPPLY INVENTOR CURRAN L. GARRETT BY ILATTORNEY United States Patent ()fifice 3,165,114 Patented Jan. 12, 19653,165,114 DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR BLUE 7 SDLUBLE MATERIALS Curran L.Garrett, 4325 Devon St., Corpus Christi, Tex. Filed Aug. 15, 1962, Ser.No. 217,153 4 Claims. (Cl. 137--268) This invention relates todispensing receptacles, and more particularly to a dispensing package offluid soluble material, such as fertilizer, certain insecticides, andother like chemicals.

An object of the invention is to provide a package of theabove-mentioned character which may be cheaply manufacturedfor'distribution to the wholesale or retail customerin a completelysealed condition, so that no moisture or other foreign matter can enterthe package prior to use of the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing package forfluid soluble fertilizers, insecticides and the like, formed entirely ofheat scalable tough flexible plastic material capable of withstandingcity water main pressure during use.

' Still another object of the invention is to provide a dispensingpackage or receptacle of the above-mentioned character which may beutilized in conjunction with an ordinary garden hose and conventionalfeed or proportioning device to dispense the packaged material onto alawn, and around shrubbery and the like.

Another object is. to provide a package of the mentioned characterhaving built-in sealed fluid inlet and outlet tubes, which needonly tobe severed by the user, exteriorly of the package, in order that suchtubes may be connected to a standard type feed and proportioning device.

f Another object is to provide a dispensing package for fluid .solublematerials, which is reliable and efficient in operation, highlysimplified and economical in design, and cheap enough to be expendableafter a single usage thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following de tailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

' FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating one manner of using thedispensing pack-age according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale showing the sealedpackage prior to use,

' FIGURE 3 is a further enlarged central vertical section, partly inelevation, through the package while the same is in use, and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the package.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designatesgenerally a receptacle or package body portion formed of toughwater-impermeable flexible sheet plastic material, such as polyethylene,polystyrene, or the like. Most conveniently, the receptacle body portion10 may be formed from a pair of precut rectangular sheets of saidplastic materials, arranged in superposed relation and heat sealedtogether around their entire marginal edges, as indicated at 11. Thusformed, the package or receptacle body portion constitutes asubstantially completed closed flexible envelope of any preferred size,adapted to be filled to the desired extent with fluid or water solublefertilizer, insecticide, or the like, preferably in small particle form.The package body portion thus formed from the mentioned materials willbe capable of withstanding ordinary city or household water pressurewithout bursting or parting.

The dispensing package further comprises a relatively long fluid inlettube 12'and arelatively short outlet tube 13 through which waterhavingthe material within the package dissolved therein is conveyed to agarden hose or the like. The tubes 12 and 13 may be formed of the sameplastic material utilized for constructing the body portion .10,although the material of the tubes may be of a heavier gage, if desired,to render the tubessomcwhat stiffer. The long inlet tube 12.has itslower open end 14 positioned and terminating near and slightly above thebottom of the receptacle body portion, as best shown in FIGURE 3. Theoutlet tube 13, which is much shorter than the tube 12, has its lowerend 15 terminating near and below the upper end of the package bodyportion. Both tubes 12 and 13 extend exteriorly of the package bodyportion, beyond the top end thereof for a distance of several inches orthe like, and which distance may vary somewhat in practice. The twotubes 12 and 13 preferably extend equal distances beyond the top edge ofthe packagebody portion, exteriorly thereof, as shown. The top ends ofboth tubes 12 and 13 are completely sealed or' closed at 16 by heatsealing, or the like. The tubes 12 and 13 are received within smallopenings 17 in the top of the package body portion and heat sealed orotherwise suitably permanently anchored therein in a fluid tight manner.The openings 17 and tubes are spaced apart laterally approximately asshown, and this distance or spacing may be varied somewhat in practice,as found desirable. The tubes 12 and 13 are preferably parallel in theirassembled relation to the receptacle body portion or envelope 10. Thusformed, the package containing the solid water soluble material 18 iscompletely sealed or closed, and no moisture or other foreign matter mayenter the package prior to the use thereof. The tubes 12 and 13 form anintegral and permanent part of the package and the entire package isflexible and of a shape rendering it readily stackable with otherpackages of the same type. The package is durable and] quite tough andwill not rupture or leak even when subjected to rather rough usage.

In order to use the package for dispensing the fluid soluble materialtherein onto a lawn or the like, an ordinary garden hose 1? may beemployed as depicted in FIGURE 1. A conventional feed and proportioningdevice 20 of rigid construction and having a venturi throat 21 may becoupled at 22 with a water faucet 23 or the like. The garden hose 19, asbest shown in FIG- URE 3,. is coupled at 24 with the other end of theproportioning device 20. The device 20 has a pair of rigid tubularnipples 25-and 26, of relatively small diameter, formed integraltherewith, and extending in spaced parallel relation from one sidethereof. The nipple 25 com municates with a main interior chamber 27 ofthe proportioning device 20, while the nipple 26 communicates with theventuri throat 21 as shown in FIGURE 3.

To couple the dispensing package with the device 20, it is merelynecessary to sever the plastic tubes 12 and 13 close to their sealedends 16, which renders both tubes fully open at both ends, and thesevered ends of the tubes arethen telescoped over the nipples 25 and 26,as shown in FIGURE 3, in snug fitting relation thereto and formingtherewith fluid tight joints. When the parts are properly sized, it willbe unnecessary to wrap or bind the tubes 12 and 13, and the same willremain engaged with the nipples 25 and 26 frictionally.

With the package thus assembled to the revice 20, FIG- URE 3, the watersupply is turned on and the water will flow through the device 20 andinto the garden hose 19. Some water will be diverted through the nipple25 and through the long inlet tube 12 to the bottom of the package, asshown by the arrows in FIGURE 3. This water gradually fills the packagebody portion, dissolving and therein.

mixing with the soluble fertilizer, insecticide or the like 7 When thewater level within the package rises sufficiently to cover the lower endof the tube 13, the suction created in the venuturi throat 21 will beginto draw or siphon the dissolved material from the package through theoutlet tube 13 and nipple 26 and into the venturi throat 21, and fromthis throat into the garden hose 19 for dispensing onto a lawn,shrubbery or the like. This action will continue as long as the watercontinues to flow through the garden hose and proportioning device andall of the soluble material in the package will be dissolved in andmixed with the water therein and then siphoned through the tube 13,until the package is substantially empty. When substantially clear wateris observed to be discharging from the hose nozzle, the operator mayreadily remove the package from the device or adapter 20 and replace itwith a new package containing a fresh charge of soluble material. Thespent package, due to its inexpensive construction, can be discardedafter a single usage.

As should now be apparent, the invention provides a package which ishighly convenient to market to the customer and equally convenient touse or dispense from, without the necessity for any tools save a pair ofscissors or the like for serving the two tubes 12 and 13 close to theirsealed ends. The package is leak-proof during use and will notcontaminate the hands of the user with fertilizer or other chemicalswhich might be contained therein. The package is highly compact inconstruction and generally flat so that a large number of packages maybe stacked or placed in a common storage bin in a retail store or thelike. They are tough and durable, as previously stated, and willwithstand rough usage without rupturing or opening. The entire packageis flexible and the side walls thereof are capable of expandingconsiderably when the water under presure is introduced therebetween, sothat a thorough mixing .and dilution of the contents may take placeprior to the actual dispensing.

A small filter or strainer 15' is preferably contained near the lowerend of outlet tube 13 to prevent the passage of any large particles ofmaterial into the outlet tube or device 20, thereby preventing possibleclogging of the same.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, wthiout departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A flexible sealed dispensing package for liquid solubleparticulatematerial, said package maintaining said material dry and uncontaminatedprior to use, said package formed entirely of heat scalable plasticmaterial and adapted for connection with a liquid proportioning device,saidpackage comprising a flexible walled generally flat bag-like bodyportion adapted to hold a charge of said particulate material and beingclosed by heat sealing around its entire marginal edge, a relativelylong liquid inlet tube extending through said marginal edge and heatsealed therein in a fluid tight manner and having an open end within theconfines of the body portion near the remote side thereof, the oppositeend of said tube being closed by heat sealing in a fluid tight mannerexteriorly of the body portion and said marginal edge, and a relativelyshort discharge tube extending through said marginal edge in spacedparallel relation to the inlet tube and heat sealed within the marginaledge in a fluid tight manner and having an open end terminating withinthe body portion near the proximal side thereof and remote from the openend of said inlet tube, said discharge tube having its opposite endclosed by heat sealing in a fluid tight manner exteriorly of the bodyportion and said marginal edge, the sealed ends of said tubes beingequidistantly spaced from the body portion and said marginal edge,whereby said tubes may be severed inwardly of their sealed ends andexteriorly of the body portion for opening them and allowing them toreceive spaced tubular nipples of said proportioning device.

2. A dispensing package for liquid soluble particulate solids adapted tomaintain the solids dry and uncontaminated prior to use, said packageformed entirely of heat scalable tough plastic material and comprising aclosed fluid tight package body portion including a pair of opposeddistendable flexible side walls and a marginal edge, and a pair ofspaced parallel tubes extending through said margin-a1 edge and heatsealed therein and extending equidistantly outside of the body portionand extending for unequal distances inside of the body portion,corresponding ends of said tubes Within the body portion being open andthe corresponding ends of said tubes exteriorly of the body portionbeing closed in a fluid tight manner by heat sealing, whereby said tubesmay be opened exteriorly of the body portion by severing them near andinwardly of their heat sealed ends and equidistantly of said marginaledge to permit the exterior ends of the tubes to receive thereintelescopically nipples of a proportioning device.

3. The invention as defined by claim 2, and wherein the entire packageincluding said body portion and tubes are formed of polyethylene.

4. A one-use flexible dispensing package for liquid soluble solidsformed entirely of heat seal-able plastic material and being generallyrectangular and flat and having a pair of opposed distendable side wallsheat sealed together in a fluid tight manner around their registeringmarginal edges, and a pair of tubes extending through one heat sealedmarginal edge of the package in a fluid tight manner and extendingequidistantly outwardly of the marginal edge in spaced parallel relationand extending unequal distances interiorly of the marginal edge andpackage and having corresponding ends open within the package, theexterior ends of the tubes being closed in a fluid tight manner by heatsealing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,682,902 7/54Metzger 229-62.5 3,016,284 1/62 Trexler 229-625 3,052,525 9/62 Vogelmannet al 23272.7 3,095,023 6/63 Rang 229--62.S

FOREIGN PATENTS 845,345 8/60 Great Britain.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

1. A FLEXIBLE SEALED DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR LIQUID SOLUBLE PARTICULATEMATERIAL, SAID PACKAGE MAINTAINING SAID MATERIAL DRY AND UNCONTAMINATEDPRIOR TO USE, SAID PACKAGE FORMED ENTIRELY OF HEAT SEALABLE PLASTICMATERIAL AND ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION WITH A LIQUID PROPORTIONING DEVICE,SAID PACKAGE COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE WALLED GENERALLY FLAT BAG-LIKE BODYPORTION ADAPTED TO HOLD A CHARGE OF SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL AND BEINGCLOSED BY HEAT SEALING AROUND ITS ENTIRE MARGINAL EDGE, A RELATIVELYLONG LIQUID INLET TUBE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID MARGINAL EDGE AND HEATSEALED THEREIN IN A FLUID TIGHT MANNER AND HAVING AN OPEN END WITHIN THECONFINES OF THE BODY PORTION NEAR THE REMOTE SIDE THEREOF, THE OPPOSITEEND OF SAID TUBE BEING CLOSED BY HEAT SEALING IN A FLUID TIGHT MANNEREXTERIORLY OF THE BODY PORTION AND SAID MARGINAL EDGE, AND A RELATIVELYSHORT DISCHARGE TUBE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID MARGINAL EDGE IN SPACEDPARALLEL RELATION TO THE INLET TUBE AND HEAT SEALED WITHIN THE MARGINALEDGE IN A FLUID TIGHT MANNER AND HAVING AN OPEN END TERMINATING WITHINTHE BODY PORTION NEAR THE PROXIMAL SIDE THEREOF AND REMOTE FROM THE OPENEND OF SAID INLET TUBE, SAID DISCHARGE TUBE HAVING ITS OPPOSITE ENDCLOSED BY HEAT SEALING IN A FLUID TIGHT MANNER EXTERIORLY OF THE BODYPORTION AND SAID MARGINAL EDGE, THE SEALED ENDS OF SAID TUBES BEINGEQUIDISTANTLY SPACED FROM THE BODY PORTION AND SAID MARGINAL EDGE,WHEREBY SAID TUBES MAY BE SEVERED INWARDLY OF THIER SEALED ENDS ANDEXTERIORLY OF THE BODY PORTION FOR OPENING THEM AND ALLOWING THEM TORECEIVE SPACED TUBULAR NIPPLES OF SAID PROPORTIONING DEVICE.